Recruiting: Michigan State hoops gets letter from Gavin Schilling, working on Chicago kids

Apr. 17, 2013

Written by

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

Recruiting is heating up for Tom Izzo -- he got a signed letter of intent today, he has an offer out to a former Minnesota commitment for the class of 2013 and he has a major in-home visit with a 2014 prospect set up for next week.

Gavin Schilling, MSU's lone 2013 recruit, faxed in his signed letter today, the first day of the late signing period. The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Schilling averaged 13.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks as a senior for Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., helping the Pilots to a 35-1 record.

Born in Germany and raised in France, the 17-year-old Schilling speaks three languages, has a 3.8 grade-point average and is relatively new to the game of basketball. He picked MSU in March over offers from UCLA, Villanova and Minnesota.

“He comes from a tremendous program and a great family," Izzo said in a statement of Schilling. "He defends, rebounds and runs the court very well. He’s a great worker that wants to learn and improve. Not only will he be a young freshman who doesn’t turn 18 until next November, he’s also young to the game, having picked up the game later in life than most college players. With that in mind, I look forward to watching him grow and develop.”

Izzo is still waiting to find out if junior forward Adreian Payne and freshman guard Gary Harris will leave early for the NBA draft, and they have until April 28 to decide. In the meantime, MSU extended an offer last week to 6-4 shooting guard Alvin Ellis of Chicago De La Salle Institute, according to chicagohoops.hoops247.com. Ellis decommitted from Minnesota after Tubby Smith was fired.

And ESPN Chicago reported today that MSU will have an in-home visit next week with Chicago Whitney Young center Jahlil Okafor, ranked by many the top player in the class of 2014. The Okafor family has hosted Ohio State already and will have MSU, Duke, Kansas and Baylor in next week, according to the report.

MSU is pursuing Okafor along with Chicago Curie forward Cliff Alexander and Apple Valley (Minn.) point guard Tyus Jones for the class of 2014. All three are consensus top-10 recruits. Jones recently told the Free Press he hopes to play in college with Okafor, and that he plans to make a choice in the fall.

Contact Joe Rexrode: 313-222-2625 or jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe.